Ceramic enamel compositions, also known as ceramic inks, find use in a variety of industries, where they are employed for purely decorative to highly functional purposes. For example, the automotive industry utilizes black ceramic enamel compositions, often applied by screen printing technology, to generate the dark enamel bands on the peripheral edges of automotive glass or glazings. After their application to an automotive glazing, the ceramic enamel compositions are fired or otherwise heated to temperatures capable of fusing the compositions to the automotive glazing, thereby forming a dense, hard, and durable protective layer that is securely attached to the automotive glazing.
The dark enamel bands formed by ceramic enamel compositions are also referred to as obscuration bands and are commonly found on the peripheral edges of the windshield, sunroof, and side and rear windows. In addition to improving the overall aesthetic of the vehicle by concealing unsightly wires and/or adhesives that may be used with the otherwise transparent automotive glazings, obscuration bands also serve to block the transmission of sunlight through the glazings, thereby protecting the adhesives thereunder from photo-degradation processes initiated by ultraviolet radiation.
Unfortunately, the dark enamel obscuration bands may result in hazy or otherwise optically distorted area that may limit the readability of heads-up displays. Accordingly, there exists a need for new compositions that may be used for the improvement of the properties of ceramic enamel compositions.